Rob Tolson ’ s Elf to the rescue
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You ’ re a bottler ! Rob Tolson ( left ) is thanked for his support by Hawkesbury Men ’ s Shed secretary , Graham Marks . Darren Tolson waits patiently in his cabin for the photo shoot to end so he can get back to work levelling the site on which the new clubhouse will sit . Photo : Kathryn Johnston .
by Greg Martin
Shades of cavalry racing to the rescue of Wild West wagon trains under attack by Indians and medieval knights coming to the aid of damsels in distress !
To the members of Hawkesbury Men ’ s Shed ( HMS ), Rob Tolson , the founder of Elf Farm Supplies at Mulgrave , is indeed a knight in shining armour .
After hearing about the expiration of a $ 80,000 NSW Government Community Grant which had been awarded to the HMS to build badly-needed larger premises , Rob Tolson , never one to let grass grow under his feet , decided to lend a helping hand .
Due to a series of circumstances in securing the right quarter-acre site on which to place the shed at Australiana Village , raising $ 6000 to pay for a Development Application and then a hold-up within the planning department at Hawkesbury City Council , the grant expired last January .
“ At a social event in April , Rob met our secretary , Graham Marks , who mentioned the shed ’ s bad luck story during the course of their conversation ,” explained Gil France , the HMS Public Officer .
“ Rob was , to put it mildly , outraged at the circumstances which led to the grant expiring and he decided on the spot that he would do what he could to help out .” And has he ever ! Firstly , he is leasing a site on the Elf Farm Supplies property to the HMS where they can build its new premises – and at a rock bottom price .
His contacts will also provide the necessary manpower in regards to sewerage , water and power connections to the site .
Rob is in the process of raising $ 100,000 to build the shed , contacting friends and business partners , offering them the opportunity to take up one of ten $ 10,000 ( or smaller amounts ) sponsorships to raise the necessary funds .
He ’ s already roped in fellow community-minded mates to lend a hand as part of the sponsorships .
Troy Myer ’ s Urban City Consulting will oversee the entire development of the build , Neil Groat of Compaction and Soil Testing Service is site-testing the tract of land .
Rob ’ s brother , Don and his son , Darren , are also on board – their companies , Megaspray Concrete Spraying company and W & D Concrete Pumping , will lay the concrete base on which the 40mx12m MHS premises will sit . But wait , there ’ s even more ! Rob said Roger Sherrington ’ s Wide Span Sheds at Windsor will supply the BlueScope Steel shed “ at the right price ”.
And Don Shaddick of Shaddick Lawyers will handle the lease of the property at what Rob describes as “ mates ’ rates ”.
Rob Tolson was off the mark quicker than Usain Bolt in getting his fundraising campaign underway .
“ A few days after meeting Graham , I met up with Barry Locock , the proprietor of Turtle Landscape Supplies , and told him what I intended to do and he came on board immediately with a $ 10,000 sponsorship ,” Rob said .
“ And not long after , my three sons , Robert , Kevin and David , who operate White Prince Mushrooms , also chipped in with a $ 10,000 sponsorship .
“ I ’ m over the moon with the support we ’ ve already achieved but there are still sponsorships available for anyone out there who wants to give HMS a real helping hand .
“ Such is the support being generated within this wonderful community of ours , I ’ m very confident that come the end of the year , shed members will be ensconced in their new home .”
Graham Marks and his fellow members will recognise those good folk who come on board with sponsorships by and etching their names on a 3m x 1m plaque at the entrance to the new shed .
“ We cannot thank Rob enough for his wholehearted support in helping us get into a new home ,” Graham said .
“ We have 32 enthusiastic members and the current shed in Bosworth Street , Richmond , has become quite cramped . This has long been raising safety concerns , so our new home will be greatly welcomed by all of us .”
Elf Farm Supplies is the only compost producer in NSW and provides compost to mushroom growing businesses across NSW , Victoria and Queensland .
Rob and his company have a long history of supporting local sporting groups , especially those sports which field junior boys ’ and girls ’ teams such as soccer , rugby league and union , cricket and netball .
Onya Rob . Onya !
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THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 135 // AUGUST 2021 9